justification is a strange thing. through the magic of internal wordplay and mental gymnastics, we can get ourselves out of just about anything. for instance, i remember having chores as a kid and thinking stuff like "mom couldn't really mean i should do ALL the dishes," or "i'm sure she didn't mean to take out the garbage TONIGHT." i knew for a fact that she wanted all the dishes done and the garbage taken out immediately, but my laziness flipped a switch inside my brain. for just a few moments i became this lawyeresque creature, sifting through the sands of my mother's instructions with a fine-toothed comb, eagerly and desperately seeking the linguistic loophole that would release me from my immediate responsibilities. when i finally found the word or phrase that could spring me from the prison of my pending chores, my job was done and i returned to the mindless activities that awaited me. and the satisfaction of my work would overshadow the disappointment i should have felt in myself for weaseling my way out of chores.
oh, how grand it would be to say that this was in my past. but i really can't. in fact, there are a lot of us who do this every day. let me give you a few examples...
"Jesus couldn't have really been asking me to love God with ALL of my heart."
"surely Jesus didn't mean to imply that i should take up my cross and follow Him if it is difficult."
"no way can God expect me to remain pure sexually. this is a different day and age."
"pray for those who persecute me? i think that may be a metaphor..."
"i know Jesus tells us to confront someone directly if we have been offended, but it's way easier to just gossip about the person."
maybe i am the only one who does this in my spiritual life at times. if i am, i apologize for wasting your time. but this post is meant to wake up the excuse givers- the people who approach Christ's call in the same way i approached my mother's call to housework. stop coming up with reasons why you can't serve and do what you can. get rid of the contentment with what your life is now and replace it with a vision of what your life could be. stop letting sin rot away your life and embrace holiness. be honest about who you are, who you want to be, and what it will take you to get from one to the other. stop blaming your problems on everyone else- own up to your mistakes. the bottom line is that sin is easy and discipleship is hard. but often, the more difficult option is the best.
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